PUERTO RICO 2017

A HISTORY MAKING DISASTER

A CALL FOR ACTION

A WARNING TO THE WORLD

PUERTO RICO BEFORE AND AFTER MARIA

On September 20th, Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds made direct landfall on Puerto Rico.
This is a disaster of historic proportions. It is the first time a modern state
has been hit head on by a category 4 storm. The situation is even more
perilous because Puerto Rico is an island, making the delivery of aid
very difficult.

There is still no power on 95% of the island, with
exception of generators, which are dependent on a very scarce supply of fuel.

This is a direct threat to human life. No
refrigeration for food, no power to pump fresh water, no telephone service.
There are reports it will take months, not days to restore service. Ten of
thousands of people will die without aid. This is a fact, not a theory.

Puerto Ricans are US citizens. They are entitled to the
same level of disaster response that anyone in New York, Texas or
Florida would receive. If Puerto Rico were a state, it would be the 30th
most populated — with more people than Wyoming, Vermont, and Alaska
combined.

What is needed is a massive US government effort. We are
not going to second guess what has happened so far. What will we say is
that a lot more needs to happen and soon.

A WARNING TO THE WORLD: This disaster
and the response to it is important because it will serve as a model for
preparedness in disasters to come. For example, what to do if a
category 4 storm were to hit Bangladesh. There needs to be an across
the board effort to improve preparedness (such as building massive flood
gates for New York Harbor). The world needs to take global warming
seriously. The United States should get back into the Paris Climate
Agreement. As temperatures rise, super storms will become more frequent
around the world. The world needs to be ready. (SEE MAPS BELOW)

What can you do for Puerto Rico? Below we list some charities
chosen by PBS. However, it is vital to understand that this is a
crisis that is way beyond the capacity of private charities. You need
to call your elected representatives and demand a maximum US government effort.